Bacterial Skin Infections

Furuncle: S. aureus. A furuncle is more commonly known as a boil. It is the result of a skin infection usually caused by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus entering through a hair follicle or a break in the skin. It may start as a painful, hard, red bump that gradually fills with pus. Hot compresses may help relieve some of the discomfort and help it drain, but if it is too large, you may need to be treated by a doctor. They would make an incision under local anesthesia, drain it and prescribe intralesional steroids to control the inflammation and oral antibiotics.